In the morning I felt a bit better but still stayed on board whiling away the time by buying leather moccasins and gloves from the Indians.  The Indian ladies were so curious and really wanted to have a look at the foreign prince so that they dared to come on board guided by the missionary. I was then just occupied with entries into my diary when they arrived and stared at me. Imhof used this moment to photograph the dainty beauties who had very energetic facial features and strong bodies. The Indian women soon became aware of it but this realization produced various results. Some cried and covered up their brown faces with a shawl whereas others less shy and apparently quite vain, took off their shawl to accentuate their dense black hair.

At the pier a vivid trade had developed as the travel organizer was selling off at a considerable loss all the objects acquired for the expedition and now unnecessary such as field beds, cooking utensils etc, then the remaining tins and alcoholic beverages. Most of it was bought by Mr. Ellis, who celebrated the acquisition by getting fully drunk on the spot.

Towards noon, shortly before departure, a heavy stormy wind came up that churned up the lake so that the departure of the bulky steamer became almost impossible.  A rope with which the aft of the ship should have been swung free snapped and we drifted again to the pier and hit it booming, to the greatest pleasure of Mr. Ellis under alcoholic influence who was howling with joy about this failure of the vehicle of the Canadian Pacific Railway Company he hated thoroughly and was waving his hat.

The maneuver was repeated, the rope snapped again and this time the rebound and crash into the pier was even harder so that the pier was screeching in all its joints and we too on the ship had to absorb a mighty hit.  The excitement was now general, the wind was blowing stronger and stronger, the captain was shouting and swearing, Mr. Ellis was rejoicing, the missionary told me that he intended to come along to prepare me for death and the journey to the next world, a kind offer that I however thankfully declined for now. A third rope was launched to shift the ship. As the crew on board was insufficient, a colorful company of in part quite ludicrous guys was thronging at the gangway working eagerly for the common good. The paymaster, the passengers, the waiter in  shirtsleeves — all were pulling strongly until the joint effort proved successful. The aft turned towards the lake, the machine started and we could gain the open water.

At the station of Kelowna, which consisted of a few settler houses, I used the stay of a quarter hour to inspect a steam saw at the shore that was driven by a machine with 42 horsepower. There five circular saws and a planer turned the mighty spruce trunks of the virgin forest within the shortest time into plain boards. In a small merchant store we bought still a few leather Indian costumes and gloves. Towards 6 o’clock we were at Priests‘ Landing and stayed on board of „SS Aberdeen„. Late in the evening the rain started again.

Links

• Location: Penticton, Canada
• ANNO – on 16.09.1893 in Austria’s newspapers.
• The k.u.k. Hof-Burgtheater is playing the tragedy „Der Erbförster“. The k.u.k. Hof-Operntheater is performing the ballet „Excelsior“.

Die Neue Presse reports on 16 September 1893 that Franz Ferdinand will depart from New York on 14 October to England and pay a visit to Queen Victoria. Apart from the New York departure, the information is completely wrong.